Von Braun, a hero to many for his work as technical chief of the Army's missile program and later NASA's space program, began a concerted effort in the 1950s to sell the idea of space travel to the American public. That included the collaboration with Disney on three highly popular space-related television films.

``He had the ability to take this interest in space exploration and take it to the public,'' said Mike Wright, staff historian for the Marshall Space Flight Centre.

Disney's senior producer, Ward Kimball, had taken notice after von Braun and other scientists wrote a series of articles for Collier's magazine, said Wright. He tapped von Braun to work on the popular Disney TV films about space.

Von Braun's work on the Disney films and the Collier's series sold many Americans on the idea of space flight and helped ensure adequate funding of the space program, said Wright...